Pumpkin Cheesecake with Oreo Crust

Instructions

1. Grease the inside of the 8 or 9 inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with two layers of aluminum foil and bring the foil up the sides of the pan and make sure it’s tight and secure no water gets in during the baking process!!! (You can place springform pan in slightly larger pan before place it in the water bath, so you won’t have to use foil))
2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
3. Mix together Oreo crumbs and melted butter, press the mixture into the bottom of springform pan and smooth to get an even layer, set aside.
4. With electric mixer, mix cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Decrease the speed to low and add eggs one at a time.
5. Add sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon juice and mix until well incorporated.
6. Spread 1 1/2 cup of cheesecake filling onto Oreo crust and smooth with a spatula. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
7. Add pumpkin pure, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to the rest of cheesecake filling and mix until well incorporated. Spread evenly onto plain cheesecake filling.
8. Place springform pan in a roasting pan, fill roasting pan about a quarter of the way with hot water and bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes, rotating once halfway through (until the cheesecake is set around the edges and slightly loose in the center). I used 8 inch springform pan so I had to bake the cake almost 1 hour 30 minutes to set.
9. Remove springform pan from the water bath and set on a cooling rack to cool, then remove aluminum foil and refrigerate (at least 5 hour or overnight). When it’s completely cooled run a thin knife around the edge and take of the ring of springform pan.
10. Beat 1 1/2 cup heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread 1 and 1/3 cups whipped cream on top of pumpkin cheesecake and save the rest for garnish. Place the cake in the freezer for 20 minutes.
11. Over double boiler melt chopped chocolate until completely smooth and has no lumps, then stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream(from the fridge). If the ganache is warm, set aside to cool (make sure not to spread warm chocolate ganache over the whipped cream because the cream will begin to melt and blend with chocolate) When it’s cooled completely, spread about 2/3 of the ganache onto cake to cover completely heavy cream layer, then set the cake in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Reheat the rest of ganache and pour it over the cake to and let it dripping over the edge. Let it cool completely to set then garnish the cake with heavy cream and chocolate chips.
12. Store the cake in the fridge.